elkins



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I. S. ELKINS.-

. AUTOMATIC VAPOR FUEL GENERATOR AND BURNER.

No. 548,305. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

a ay;

I in b I :F .1.

4 A k V &

I I f lit 751K702 Ea, ,dfEmmS' aihorney AN DREW B GRAHAM. PHUTOUTHQWASHINFTDKD C 9m t e e h S s t e e h S 2 S N .I K L E S L U 6 d 0 M 0 N AUTOMATIC VAPOR FUEL GENERATOR AND-BURNER.

No. 548,305. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

II I/W'ESSE'S UNITED STATES 7 PATENT OFFI E.

IRA S. ELKINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC VAPOR-FUEL GENERATOR AND BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,305, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed February 15, 1895. gerial No. 538,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Vapor-Fuel Generators and Burners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a vapor generator and burner adapted to be set in the fire-boxes of domestic cooking/and heating stoves and into the fire-boxes or combustion-chambers of steam-boiler furnaces, brick and pottery kilns, and other furnaces or kilns where a strong fiame and high heat are required.

The object of my invention is to provide for economically and eifectively generating combustible vapor from hydrocarbon oil and water, each in a separate chamber, and then intimately mingling the escaping jets of hydrocarbon vapor and steam and also intimately mixing them with air at the point of combustion, whereby great economy is produced in the use of hydrocarbon oil, perfect combustion and a clear flame produced, free from soot or lampblack, and an intense heat produced. These advantageous results are due to the improved construction and arrangement of parts in my generator and burner, as I will now particularly point out.

in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section on line 1 1 through my generator and burner, showing parts in elevation. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. represents a transverse section through the burner-pipes, showing parts in dotted lines. Fig. 5 represents a section through one of the feed-inlet valves in an oil or water supply pipe. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a double-retort generator and burner. Fig. 7 represents a perspective View ofa generator and burner with three retorts.

My improved vapor-generator may be constructed of two or more cylindrical chambers, such as B and 0, preferably cast together, as

with the outlet-pipes f and g.

I in Figs. 2, 6, and 7, and such chambers or re- Be it known that I, IRA S. ELKINS, a citizen torts are united by a solid web of metal at at their opposite ends, between which webs and the retorts there is a long narrow slot 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6. For a domestic cooking or heating stove two retorts B O are preferably set in the fire-box A' of the stove X and a short distance below the top plate thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. One retort, as B, is used for generating watervapor or steam, preferably superheated steam, and the other retort, as O, is used for generating hydrocarbon vapor or gas, and these retorts are respectively fed by water and oil, drop by drop, by means of suitable supplypipes from elevated reservoirs. (Not here shown.) A water-supply pipe 6, having a valve 6', connects with retort B. An oil-supply pipe c, having a valve 0, connects with the retort O. The stems of the needle-valves b and c are respectively provided with pointers b" and 0'', arranged to traverse the graduated face of a circular index-plate d, secured to the valve-casing for accurately indicating the position of the valve and the amount of fluid which is permitted to flow through the pipes to the generating-chambers of the retorts B and O.

The retorts B and O are provided at their rear ends with vapor-outlet pipes f and g, which connect, respectively, with the burnerpipes 71. and h, arranged longitudinally below the retorts, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6. The front ends of the burner-pipes h and h are closed by caps, and they are connected together by a cross-bar or pipe-fitting, as Z, for holding them against lateral movement, either toward or away from each other, below the retorts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The brace l is preferably made of pipe, as shown in Fig. 4., in the shape of an I or a double -T fitting, and the cross-pieces of this fitting are suffi ciently large to slide over the burner-pipes h and h. The burner-pipes can therefore be turned within said cross pieces and thus screwed into the elbows at their connection The vapor-escape pipes and burner-pipes may be suitably held in place by coils of wire 1', as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and the burner-pipes are preferably secured close together, as in Fig. 6. The burner-pipes are also provided with pointing ICC pins or rods k and with burner orifices or ducts '5 z" in longitudinal line with said pins 70 it. These pointer pins or rods serve to accurately indicate to the workman when the burner-pipes h and h are properly set, so that the orifices i and 2" shall be properly inclined toward each other for directing the issuing jets of vapor in converging lines, so as to meet in or just below slot e. The burnerpipes h and h having been adjusted with the orifices in proper relation to each other, as indicated by the pointer-pins, the pipes are fixed in position so that they will not readily turn and are then held against lateral displacement by means of the brace Z.

The brace is an important feature in my device, for the reason that if it were not used either one or both of the burner-pipes might be sprung out of place laterally, and would not therefore discharge their jets of vapor in proper converging lines, meeting in or just below the slot e, and the jets of vapor, therefore, would not be properly mingled together and with a suitable supply of air. The two burner-pipes h and h are so set that the pins 70 7c are inclined convergingly inward and upward, as shown in Fig. 4, and since the burnerducts t' 1'. are in longitudinal lines with said pins they will discharge jets of vapor in inclined converging direction, as indicated by the dotted lines, so that said jets will meet in or just below the longitudinal slot 6, between the retorts. The issuing jets of hydrocarbon vapor and highly-heated steam will therefore be intimately comlningled, and they will also draw in currents of air between them at the middle and at the sides of the retort, causing intimate mixture of the combustible vapors and air, so that perfect combustion of the hydrocarbon vapors will be produced. The converging issuing jets of vapor will produce a draft, by means of which an ample amount of air is drawn in and mingled with them for securing perfect combustion. By this arrangement and operation strong, clear, vigorous flames are produced, which are very effective in first heating the retorts and then, after passing through the slot, heating the whole fire-box and the top of the stove, the flames being so strong that they pass back over the oven and effectively heat the same.

In some locations of the generator and burner I prefer to place the burner-pipes h and h relatively closer to the generators than shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and also to secure the burner-pipes closer together, as shown in Figs.

6 and 7. In some conditions better results are produced with this last-mentioned arrangement.

I have found it advantageous to place above the generating-retorts a coarse wire mesh or other grating m, for the purpose of better distributing the flame and heat, and on top of such grating I place lumps or fragments of fire-clay and asbestos for absorbing and retaining the heat.

When my vapor generator and burner is to be used in a steam-boiler furnace or in a brick or pottery kiln, the generatingretorts are preferably arranged in groups of three or more, and I have found it expedient and desirable to cast three retorts together, as shown in Fig. 7. In the case of three retorts cast together I use the two outside retorts C O for generating hydrocarbon vapor and the middle one B for generating steam, and the three outlet-pipes g g and f connect with the three burner-pipes, as h in the middle for steam and h h on each side for hydrocarbon vapor. The middle burner-pipe h has two sets of orifices t, inclining in opposite directions, so that the issuing jets of vapor shall point to the two slots e between the outer retort O and the middle retort B. The jets of vapor from the outer pipes h h are inclined inward, so as to escape up into the two slots e. In this arrangement of three retorts and burnerpipes the middle retort for generating steam will be most highly heated, which is quite desirable in practice, in order that the steam as generated in the retort may be highly superheated before escaping to the burner-pipe. In practice, also, I prefer that in the use of two retorts the one for generating hydrocarbon vapor shall be placed next to the front of the stove and that the one for generating steam shall be placed back in order that it may be most highly heated.

In practice I prefer to place a drip-pan in the fire-box just below the burner, and in starting the generator and burner I admit a little oil into this pan and ignite it; but this is not essential, as the fire may be started with a little paper or other kindling material.

After the fire has been started, oil is first admitted, drop by drop, into the oil-vaporizing retort, and immediately vapor is generated, which escapes from the orifices in the burnerpipe and ignited. The flame from this burning vapor soon heats the steam-generating retort, and then water is admitted to such retort drop by drop. Very quickly this is vaporized and escapes through the orifices of the burner-pipe. In a very few minutes the generator and burner will be in full operation and an intense heat produced, which can be used for broiling, baking, 850., with the most satisfactory results.

The outlet vapor pipes f and 9 may be tapped by other pipes connecting With a second set of burner-pipes located in another part of the stove or range for the purpose of heating a water-back or for any other desired purpose.

In case the retorts are cast of extra length, they are preferably provided with one or more circular ribs or with a web between them for preventing them from closing the intermediate slot in case of warping or bending under the intense heat to which they may be subjected.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 15-- IIO 1. A vapor generator and burner composed of a pair of generating retorts or chambers, having a passage between them,ahydrocarbon oil supply pipe connecting with one, and a Water supply pipe connecting with the other, of said retorts, a hydrocarbon vapor outlet pipe leading from one retort and a steam outlet pipe leading from the other retort, a pair of burner pipes connecting with said vapor pipes and located below said generating retorts, said burner pipes having burner orifices adapted for mixing jets of oil vapor and steam at the point of combustion and discharging into the passage between the retorts, substantially as described.

2. A vapor generator and burner composed of a pair of elongated vapor generating retorts or chambers, one for steam, and the other for hydrocarbon vapor or gas, and placed side by side, and having a narrow slot between them, a pair of vapor escape pipes leading from the retorts, a pair of burner pipes connecting with such escape pipes and arranged longitudinally below said vaporizing chambers and provided with orifices for directing the escaping jets into the slot between the retorts, substantially as described.

3. A vapor generator and burner composed of a pair of vapor generating retorts or chambers, one for steam and the other for hydrocarbon vapor or gas, and having a narrow slot between them, a pair of vapor escape pipes, a pair of burner pipes connecting therewith and arranged longitudinally below said retorts and having a pair of inclined converging discharge ducts for directing converging jets of vapor into the slot between the retorts and intimately mingling the hydrocarbon vapor and steam with each other and with air for producing perfect combustion, substantially as described.

4. In combination witha pair of vaporizing chambers or retorts having a narrow slot or passage between them, a pair of burner pipes connecting with said retorts and each having an inclined pointer-pin or rod which converge to ward each other and point toward said slot, and also having inclined converging burner orifices or ducts in longitudinal line with said pins, whereby the said burner pipes may be properly set for causing the issuing jets of vapor to converge and intimately mingle in the passage between the retorts, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a pair of vaporizing chambers or retorts havinga longitudinal slot or passage between them, a pair of burner pipes connecting with said retorts, and each having a pointer-pin or rod and burner orifices or ducts in longitudinal line therewith, said pins being set to converge toward each other and point toward said slot, and a cross brace connecting said burner pipes to prevent lateral displacement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRA S. ELKINS.

Witnesses:

GIDEON T. CHAPPELL, E. B. CLARK. 

